ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

By Adam Reilly
With the N.H. primary just around the corner, how much of a threat does Newt Gingrich’s recent surge in the polls pose to Mitt Romney’s presidential hopes? Adam Reilly of WGBH's "Greater Boston" went north to find out.

CRITICAL MASS: ADAM REILLY ON POLITICS

By Adam Reilly
There was a big media crowd at Governor Patrick's press availability this morning, and it's safe to say that most of us thought things might get testy after the Patrick Administration took some hits in the media this week. But there were no fireworks. The governor did, well, great.

By Adam Reilly
A key co-defendant in the federal corruption case against former Massachusetts House Speaker Sal DiMasi is pleading guilty — and joining forces with the government. That could make things harder for DiMasi's defense.

CRITICAL MASS: ADAM REILLY ON POLITICS

By Adam Reilly
The buzz around Sen. Scott Brown's new memoir began when he announced during a 60 Minutes interview that he'd been sexually abused as a child. About 70 people lined up to get copies of the book signed by Brown in Boston that day -- and some were still trying to work out what to make of that news.

CRITICAL MASS: ADAM REILLY ON POLITICS

By Adam Reilly
Calls are mounting for the Governor's Council to be eliminated, because many think it's an antequated, do-nothing body. So it may not be a coincidence that the Council has been making life more difficult for Gov. Deval Patrick.

By Adam Reilly
You'd expect the closure of two state prisons to be big news, but the possibility leaked in Wednesday in remarkably low-key fashion. After the governor's press conference on his 2012 budget,
Administration and Finance Secretary Jay Gonzalez mentioned two coming prison shut-downs.

By Adam Reilly
When you've got a bunch of big races that feel competitive, and you don't win any of them, disappointment is a natural reaction. Still, recent history suggests that the Mass. GOP's State House gains are actually pretty impressive.

CRITICAL MASS: ADAM REILLY ON POLITICS

By Adam Reilly
Emails released Wednesday by ex-aides to Tim Cahill suggest the independent candidate for governor may have misused his office as state treasurer to help his campaign. It's the latest twist in a series of events catalyzed by the defection of his running mate, Paul Loscocco.

After Tim Cahill's Independent-ticket running mate Paul Loscocco dropped out of the governor's race on Friday, things were looking bleak for Cahill. But he's staying in the race -- and brings a unique persepective with him.

CRITICAL MASS: ADAM REILLY ON POLITICS

One of the biggest surprises of this year's MA elections was that--despite Scott Brown's win over Martha Coakley in that hugely hyped US Senate election earlier this year--the state GOP couldn't get anyone to run against Coakley for the AG's job this fall. Until now.

CRITICAL MASS: ADAM REILLY ON POLITICS

One of the biggest surprises of this year's MA elections was that--despite Scott Brown's win over Martha Coakley in that hugely hyped US Senate election earlier this year--the state GOP couldn't get anyone to run against Coakley for the AG's job this fall.

CRITICAL MASS: ADAM REILLY ON POLITICS

Massachusetts didn't provide much electoral drama on primary night, but we did offer a test case in whether anti-Washington sentiment can fuel Democrats as well as Republicans. And the answer seems to be: not really.